Mowing-machine.



mTnesses g I Y W. E. MARTIN.

MOWING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 00129, 1909.

Patented May 28, 1912.

5 SHEETSSHEET 1.

AWLn Wimam Edward Mawhn EOLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co" WASHINGTON, D. c.

W. E. MARTIN. MOWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 001:.29, 1909.

Mhmises $141M,

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W E. MARTIN. MOWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 00129, 1909.

Patented May 28, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

r i 5 I In 513. wmidm Edward Marhn MIhecses I "s ammq COLUMBIAPLANOGRAPH C01. WASHINGTON W. E. MARTIN. v MOWING MACHINE. A PPLIOATIONFILED 001229, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Fi lO ,hvwTr 'wiines ses WHh'am Edward Mama COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPHC0.,WASHINDTON, D. c.

1 Patented May 28, 1912.

w. E. MARTIN.

. MOWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILVED 001229, 1909.

Patented May 28, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

WILLIAM E. MARTIN, OF STAMFORD, ENGLAND.

MOWING-MAGHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28,1912.

Application filed. October 29, 1909. Serial No. 525,361.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM EDWARD MARTIN, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Stamford, inthe county of Lincoln, England,have invented new and useful Improvements in Mowing-Machines, of whichthe following is aspecification.

The objects of the present invention are as follows :1. To construct animproved form of machine which is able to withstand the stresses towhich such machines are subj ected without causing unnecessary frictionon the main axle. 2. To provide improved driving mechanism for the knifebar and improved means for connecting the knife bar to the slide bywhich it is driven. 3. To provide improved means for adjusting theposition of the finger bar and knives. 4. To provide improved means forsupporting the finger bar and knives whereby they are caused to float atabout thelevel of the ground and may be more readily raised or lowered.5. To provide improved knife sections which will prevent wear on theknife bar, strengthen same and aflord facilities for repairs. i.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of a mower, and Fig. 2 is a plan of thesame. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of certain parts of, the machine seenfrom the opposite side to that represented at Fig. 1, and drawn to anenlarged scale, showing the raising mechanism. Fig. 4 is a sideelevationof the gear box with the cover removed. Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of the clutch by which the main wheel gives motion to theknife bar. 9

Fig. 6 is a section showing the gear box, gearing and some partsconnected therewith. Fig. 7 is a front view of the slide box andmechanism for giving motion to the knife bar. Fig. 8 is a sectionthrough the sleeve carrying the slide box-shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is aplan of one ofthe shoes, part of the knife, and other adjacent parts ofdifferent construction to those shown in Figs. 2, 3, 7 and 8. Fig. 10 isa side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 9. Figs. 11, 12 and 13 arerespectively a plan, front elevation, and side elevation of one sectionof the knife. Fig. 14 is a front elevation of the machine, part of theknife being broken away. Fig. 15 is a plan of the shoe shown in Fig. 8and means for connecting the knife bar to the driving lugs.

a, a, are the driving and carrying wheels of the machine, one of whichgives motion to the disk 6 fixed on the main shaft m by clutch mechanismsuch as is clearly shown in Fig. 5. This disk carries pins 0, on whichare mounted planet pinions cZ gearing withthe sun pinion c and alsogearing with an internally toothed ring f forming part of a gear case 9.The planet pinions d glve motion to the sun pinion e, which latter, bymeans of a clutch h, gives motion to the bevel wheel i which drives abevel pinion j on the shaft 70 employed for giving motion to the knifebar Z.

According to the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the shaft 70 isprovided at its lower end with a crank m on which is a block a workingin a transverse slot 0, in an enlargement p connecting the two parts ofthe bar which slides in guides r. This slide bar 9 has two lugs 8carried by the enlargement p by means of which the knife bar isconnected to the slide bar.

The hearings or guides r are carried by a box 23 on the back of which isformed or fixed a sleeve to which is carried by the casing or hearing '0of the shaft is. The bearing o is carried at its upper end by the easing9, which is mounted on and is concentric with a sleeve'w surrounding themain shaft w, and is capable of being rotated partly around the same. Onthe exterior of the bearing 1* carried by the slide box 6, is pivot-- edthe inner shoe y, to which the knife bar Z is attached, and this lattertherefore moves concentrically with respect to the slide bar The knifebar Z, finger bar 1, and inner shoe 7 are thus mounted on a universaljoint owing to the combined motion of the sleeve u on the bearing 0 andof the shoe y on the exterior of the bearings '1".

To the gear case 9 is attached one end of a coiled spring 2 surroundingthe sleeve to. The other end of the spring 2 is attached to the sleevew. This spring 2 tends to rotate the gear case g around the sleeve w,and consequently tends to raise the knife bar Z, finger bar 1, shoe y,and slide box 6 off the ground. The spring 2 thus lessens the weightwhen these parts are lifted, and it also causes the knife. bar Z andfinger bar 1 to float, as it were, at about the level of the ground.Instead of the spring 2, a counter-balance weight may be employed forthe same purpose.

To the slide box If is also fixed one end of a spring 3, the other endof which is fixed to the bearing 4) or to a projection carried thereby.This spring 3 has a tendency to turn the inner shoe 'y, finger bar 1,and knife bar Z into a vertical position. The finger bar 1 thereforerests lightly or floats on the ground when the machine is working.

The mechanism for raising the knife bar Z and parts connected therewithpreferably consists of teeth 4 on the back of the slide box t, withwhich gears a toothed quadrant 5, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7. The slidebox t is raised by means of the lever 6 attached to the quadrant 7 towhich is fixed one end of the chain 8. This latter is attached at itslower end to a lever 9 fixed to, or formed in one with, the toothedquadrant 5.

Owing to the weight of the knife bar Z, finger bar 1, and partsconnected therewith, the bearing a; is raised until the projection 10 onthe casing 9 comes into contact with a fixed stop 11 on the sleeve 10.Then, when the bearing 11 cannot rise any further, the toothed quadrant5 begins to rotate the teeth a and consequently rotates the knife bar Zand parts connected therewith into a more or less vertical position. Thefoot lever 12 is also connected to the quadrant 7 and may be used tohold the quadrant 7 while the level: 6 is moved forward to engageanother part of the quadrant 7. The foot lever 12 may also be used torotate the quadrant.

Instead of employing the teeth 4 and toothed quadrant 5, I may employ achain or cable to rotate the slide box 25, or compound levers may beemployed for the same purpose. The lever 13, which operates the rod 14and lever 15, is employed to rotate the shoe 3/ on its bearings 1" andthus raise or lower the points of the fingers and knives.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the carrying wheel 16 is shown mounted on a pin carriedby a bracket 17 fixed to the bearing 41, thus allowing the knife bar tobe tilted independent of wheel 16 and always to be retained parallel tothe ground when mowing.

In Figs. 9 and 10 the wheel 16 is shown, as usual, mounted on a pincarried by the shoe y. The shoe y is different to the shoe y shown inFigs. 1 and 2, but is not a novelty. The remaining parts of the mechanism shown in Figs. 9 and 10 are constructed according to the presentinvention. The knife bar Z and the side bar Q are connected in such amanner that the knife bar Z may move concentrically around the slide bar9 and be readily disconnected when necessary.

In Figs. 9 and 10 the latch s is mounted on the end of the slide bar 9so that it may be moved around the axis of this latter. The knife bar Zis provided with two lugs Z between which the latch s engages when inits operative position. A bolt Z passing through the lugs Z and latch sretains the latch in position between the lugs Z.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 3, 7 and 8, the latch Z is carriedby the knife bar Z and is moved into and out of position between thelugs s, s, which are fixed to or formed integral with the enlargement 79on the slide bar 9. The latch Z is retained between lugs Z shown in Fig.8 which are somewhat similar to those marked Z shown in Figs. 9 and 10.In the construction shown in Fig. 8 the latch Z is a plate of metalwhich is retained in its position between the lugs Z by the spring catchZ It will be noticed that in Fig. 2 the rod 18, which is employed tostay the lower end of the bearing 1), is fixed at its upper end to aneye loose on the sleeve '20, thus enabling the bearing o and all themechanism carried by it to rotate around the sleeve to without strainingany part.

The knife sections 20, shown separately at Figs. 11, 12 and 13, areformed at their rear ends to pass around the back of the knife bar Z andunderneath the same. The under part 21 is cut away at one side and projects to a corresponding extent on the other side. The projectingportion passes underneath the next adjacent knife-section, consequentlya single rivet passed through one of the holes 22 will hold the adjacentedges of two knife-sections.

WVhat I claim is 1. In a mower, the combination of a main axle, a sleevecovering said axle and to which the main frame is attached, aninternally toothed gear case mounted on one end of said sleeve, aforwardly and downwardly inclined shaft, means for rotating said shaft,a bearing for said rotating shaft, the upper end of which is supportedby said sleeve, an eye mounted on the other end of said sleeve, a rodcarried at its upper end by said eye and fixed at its lower end to thelower end of said bearing, and cutting mech anism driven by saidrotating shaft, substantially as set forth.

2. In a mower, the combination of a main axle, a sleeve covering saidaxle and to which the main frame is attached, a forwardly and downwardlyinclined shaft, means for rotating said shaft, a bearing for said shaft,the upper end of which is supported by said sleeve, an eye mounted onthe other end of said sleeve, a rod carried at its upper end by said eyeand fixed at its lower end to the lower end of said bearing, a bracketfixed direct to said bearing, a carrying wheel mounted on said bracket,a shoe pivoted to the lower end of said bearing, and cutting mechanismdriven by said shaft, substantially as set forth.

3. In a mower, the combination of a main axle, suitable gearing drivenfrom said axle, a forwardly and downwardly inclined driven shaft, abearing for said shaft, a sleeve surrounding said bearing, a slide boxto the back of which said sleeve is fixed, guides in said slide box, arod sliding in said guides, a knife bar moved by said rod, and a shoepivotally mounted on said guides, substantially as set forth.

4. In a mower, the combination of a main axle, suitable gearing, aforwardly and downwardly inclined driven shaft, a bearing for saidshaft, a crank pin on said inclined shaft, a block surrounding saidcrank pin, a slide in which said block moves, a sliding rod carryingsaid slide, a knife'bar mounted to move around the sliding rod, andmeans for connecting the slide and knife bar, substantially as setforth.

5. In a mower, the combination of a main axle, suitable gearing, asliding rod driven by said gearing, a knife bar mounted to move aroundthe sliding rod, and a movable latch for connectingthe slide and knifebar, said latch being carried by one of these last mentioned parts andengaging the other part, substantially as set forth.

6. In a mower, the combination of a main axle, suitable gearing drivenfrom said axle, a forwardly and downwardly inclined driven shaft, aknife driven by said shaft, a bearing for said shaft, a sleevesurrounding said bearing, a slide box to the back of which said sleeveis fixed, means connected to' the slide box for raising the saidvbearing, a stop to arrest said bearing, which stop causes the slide boxto rotate on said bearing and thereby raise the knife bar and partsconnected therewith into a vertical position, substantially as setforth. 7

7 In a mower, the combination of a main axle, suitable gearing drivenfrom said axle, a forwardly and downwardly inclined driven shaft, abearing for said shaft, a sleeve surrounding said bearing, a slide boxto the back of which said sleeve is fixed, a quadrant, means forrotating said quadrant, a chain attached at one end to said quadrant, alever to which the other end of the chain is attached, a toothedquadrant fixed to said lever, teeth on the back of the slide box gearingwith the toothed quadrant,a stop to arrest the motion of the bearingcarrying the slide box, and cutting mechanism driven by said shaft,substantially as set forth.

8. In a mower, the combination of a main shaft, a sleeve surroundingsaid shaft, a

gear case pivotally mounted on said sleeve, a forwardly and downwardlyinclined driven shaft, a bearing for said shaft carried at its upper endby the said gear case, a finger bar carried by said bearing and a coiledspring surrounding said sleeve, one end being attached to the sleeve andone end being attached to the gear case, said spring tending to raisethe lower end of the inclined bearing and parts carried thereby awayfrom the ground, thereby causing the finger parts and parts connectedtherewith to rest lightly on the ground, substantially as set forth.

9. In a mower, the combination of a main shaft, a forwardly anddownwardly inclined driven shaft supported from said main shaft, abearing for said driven shaft, a sleeve surrounding said bearing, aslide box 'on the back of which said sleeve is fixed, a

finger bar carried by said slide box, and a coiled spring one'end ofwhich is attached to said slide box and the other end of which isattached to said bearing and tending to rotate the-slide box so that thefinger bar rest-s lightly on the ground, substantially as set forth.

10. In a mower, the combination of a main axle, a sleeve covering saidaxle and to which the main frame is attached, an internally toothed gearcase mounted on one end of said sleeve, a forwardly and downwardlyinclined driven shaft, a bearing for said shaft, the upper end of whichis supported by said sleeve, an eye, mounted on the other end of saidsleeve, a rod carried at its upper end by said eye and fixed at itslower end to the lower end of said bearing, a crank p111 on saidinclined shaft, a block surrounding said crank pin, a slide 1n whichsaid block moves, a sliding rod carrying said slide, a knife bar mountedconcentrically with respect to the sliding rod, means for connecting theslide and knife bar, and a plurality of knife sections carried by theknife bar each section having a rear portion bent down and returnedparallel to the knife fitting behind and underneath the knife bar, saidportion being cut away at one side and projecting at its other sidebeyond the knife to a similar extent to the cut away portion, a hole inthe knife and a hole in the projecting portion to receive a rivet,substantiallyas set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

W. E. MARTIN. Witnesses W GIRLING, CLAUDE K. MILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

